


To Find the Root

by Merfilly



Series: Padawan Plight [8]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Undercover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-03
Updated: 2016-12-03
Packaged: 2018-09-06 07:01:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8739364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: Barriss and Ahsoka are recalled to the Temple to take on a mission for the Order there on Coruscant.





	

Ahsoka pulled herself out of the cockpit of the Aethersprite, checked on Arseven, who decided he was perfectly content to stay with the ship, and then debated taking a moment to go clean up before she reported in. That changed to a definite trip to the 'fresher, as her body reminded her that had been a long set of hyperspace jumps. She did clean up in there, made sure she was presentable enough, even if she hadn't bothered to pack a robe to go over her normal wear, and jogged toward the Council chamber. She had no idea why she had been summoned, but she wasn't one to keep the Masters waiting.

She arrived to find Barriss standing in the antechamber, and the other padawan's eyes actually brightened to see Ahsoka come in.

"Ahsoka!"

"Barriss!" Ahsoka smiled brightly and looked the other girl over for signs that she was doing well. Barriss was doing the same, and they both had to smile in a more sedate, shy fashion when they realized.

"I really — "

"— missed you."

The simple sentence had escaped them both in the same breath, and that just made the moment all the more surreal.

"I didn't even hope you'd be in the Temple," Ahsoka admitted. "Are you here training?"

"No. The Council summoned me."

"That's weird; I'm here for a summons too," Ahsoka told her friend, brushing her hand along Barriss's before squaring herself for whatever was coming. "I'm pretty certain I haven't done anything wrong lately, and I know you haven't," she continued. Barriss gave a tiny chuckle.

"Who knows? Maybe I did, and they asked you here to give a lesson on how to straighten out." 

Ahsoka laughed at that, but had to cut it off as the door opened. She took on the quietly respectful attitude that she had seen on Master Kenobi and Barriss herself, but there was still that air of bold self-confidence that refused to be pushed out of her slim frame. She couldn't quite help that; she was a huntress of her people, and confidence was her master's stock in trade.

"Padawans, enter, you will," Master Yoda called, even as Ahsoka was clearing the floor to the center, but it spurred Barriss to keep up with her. Ahsoka's eyes darted around; Masters Yoda and Kit she knew fairly well, having studied under one as a youngling, and the other as an Initiate. Masters Tiin and Kolar were less known to her, and she recalled that Master Tiin had powers of the mind not unlike Master Plo. She didn't have anything to be guilty about, but old reflexes died hard, and she practiced one of the Teräs Käsi disciplines to make her mind seem open while it was actually firmly shielded.

If nothing else, it was good practice. She was pretty certain Master Kit had _never_ meant for her to use the mental tricks to hide her mischief in the past. She barely noticed as the Master she was guarding against shifted, and that made her wonder; had he been actively trying to read her?

"Both of your Masters have provisionally allowed for you to aid us in a mission here on Coruscant," Master Kolar stated. "There has been a rise in anti-Jedi rhetoric and protests. Likewise, there has been a strong backlash against the men of Kamino serving as our troops."

//Serving because they have no choice! And brainwashed into accepting it!//

Ahsoka was quite relieved she was guarding, as that thought chased through her mind instantly, as well as the rise of irritation at that designation for them. But that was one of their names, and they didn't mind it, viewing Kamino as _theirs_ anyway.

"Padawan Tano, you have quite a gift for getting into troublesome situations," Master Kit said, and she had to smile, because it was truth and they all knew it. "Do you feel confident that you can go deep into the city and try to learn more of this sentiment, as well as provide ample back-up to your fellow padawan, should things grow too heated?"

"It is not, Padawan Offee, a slight on your skills in the least," Master Tiin stated, and Barriss inclined her head.

"I am to be a healer, Master, while Ahsoka is more naturally suited to the Guardian role," Barriss said smoothly. "I am curious as to my inclusion for such a mission."

"Your healing lessons, they have included the science of the mind?" Master Tiin questioned, frowning some, and Ahsoka would bet he was wondering if he had the right information now. 

"Yes, Master. I am to observe group dynamics, then, and try to report on likely causes or exacerbations?"

"Exactly," Master Tiin answered, gracing her with a nod of his own head.

"This could be quite dangerous, and we wished to offer you the chance to decline. It is no secret that Jedi have died in the areas you may have to investigate," Master Kit pointed out.

Ahsoka looked at Barriss, to see if she was willing. The elder padawan nodded, just slightly, and Ahsoka faced the four Masters. "We'll do it. Do you have a contact? More details on what is suspected? Cover identities and appropriate clothing?" Ahsoka asked.

Master Yoda gave her a bright smile. "Learning well, you are, Ahsoka. Already familiar, are you, with infiltration?"

Ahsoka did not flinch or let her lekku show any emotion other than respect. "Hyperspace jumps are long, and I have studied a few options for when I need to specialize," she admitted. Her run-ins with unsavory people didn't need to come up.

"I have all you should need, both of you," Master Tiin told her. "As Master Fisto told me you are familiar with the art of mind-speaking, to a degree that you can do it without betraying it is happening?"

//And the real reason for using me, not a more experienced padawan comes out,// she thought to herself but she answered swiftly. "I have practiced in lessons with Master Fisto and Master Koon, yes. That means you'll be my contact point, Master, if there is bigger trouble than I can handle?"

She didn't need to be one of Master Plo's people to know that she had just managed to surprise them all, even, or perhaps especially, Master Kit. She knew there had been a time when she would not have admitted anything was too big for her to handle. That was before she had seen action with a group of men frequently thrown at the worst problems in the galaxy, and gotten a crash course in how close death walked to them all.

"Yes, Padawan. I will be listening for you."

Ahsoka gave a sharp, and slightly impertinent smile. "Let's get started, then, Master Tiin."

None of them missed that Barriss did not object, and fell easily to letting Ahsoka take the lead. That was expected, despite the age gap and experience levels; the younger Padawan was far more a doer than a watcher.

+++

Ahsoka flexed in the garb of a manual laborer, slightly too large for her, but concealing for her lightsabers and most of her body markings. Goggles and a head wrap worked for the face markings and her lekku, though to most beings, the lekku striping was not as distinctive. She looked over at Barriss, still wearing Mirialan-styled garb, but with face make-up carefully concealing her tattoos. Her cover role was as young as she obviously was, and in traditional society, she would not have had as many opportunities to earn her marks yet.

"We're partners, accustomed to working together because we grew up in the same orphanage," Ahsoka repeated. "So we're going to have to make sure to look the part of an inseparable pair."

Barriss gave a small smile at that. "I think I can do that easily enough, now." She let her hand brush Ahsoka's as they turned to begin the trek into the twilight levels, strangely unafraid of this mission, despite it being the first she had done so far from her Master's side. Something of Ahsoka's confidence was rubbing off on her, she decided, as the younger girl had not flinched once from this duty offered to them.

+++

The area they had been told to concentrate on was very heavy on prejudice against Jedi and clones alike. The negative atmosphere pressed in hard on both girls, as they found makeshift work and a tiny room to share on the stipend they had been allotted for this task.

_The Jedi are using the war to push for more power. Who can trust them? They have those powers. They hide themselves in that Temple and plot against the Republic. Such evil right here on our own world!_

_They better all die in the kriffing war. Who needs a bunch of programmed flesh droids good only for dying? When the Republic ends the war, the Fleet just needs to expend them all, like wasted ammo._

The litany of threats, complaints, and fears dragged on in most of the places the two padawans mingled, keeping mostly to themselves. Ahsoka was finding it hard to curb her temper, and Barriss felt a need to burst into tears nearly every night they collapsed on the bed they were sharing. She wasn't accustomed to such negative energy all around her. Even in the worst of the war, the men seemed to push to keep spirits up, and Commander Gree was quick to pull off a morale booster if things got too rough around the Jedi he helped protect.

_When have the Jedi ever really accomplished anything? You, didn't your world suffer because of Jedi failing to negotiate peace?_

Those words had rocked Barriss to her core, flashes of conflict pressing in on hazy memories, pulling up all of her doubts about their efforts.

_Girl, those Jedi, they ignore all the real problems, let it get to this point. Look at the other tailheads, your kind and Zivasi's. Slaves, more and more every day, and who's stopping it? Not the Jedi._

Ahsoka pushed the words away. They were all **trying**! And she wasn't listening to Yoda's words in her head. That wasn't what he meant about trying. To attempt something was to throw one's whole will into, not let the mere concept of defeat sink in and prevent success by doubting one's self.

Try as they might, though, there did not seem to be a singular source for the hate and fear. Barriss did try to focus, try to find the pattern, but aside from recognizing xenophobia against the troopers, and the fear of the unknown that motivated the words against the Jedi, she could not see anything behind it. 

"How can we help them see that we are not the enemy to fear?" Ahsoka asked, flopped across the end of the bed while Barriss was curled in the pillows, trying to shed her own fear and turmoil into the Force like she always had done before.

That was near impossible when surrounded by those emotions.

"If we could only make it tangible to them, that all we want is to help," Barriss said softly. 

Ahsoka looked up toward her, and then moved so that she could rest a hand on Barriss's hip. "I know, but only our elders and younglings, or those severely injured, are in the Temple very much now. Everyone else is out in the galaxy, fighting the war they don't even want. And I don't want the war either, but the Seppies weren't giving us much choice."

"I know. I understand that better, after all of our talking, though I still wonder if we missed opportunities to dissuade it." Barriss uncurled enough to lay so that her head was closer to Ahsoka's, and their hands were touching instead. The physicality of expressing herself was growing far more natural, to the point she had found herself curled around the smaller girl several mornings.

That Ahsoka was trying to match her sleep schedule was not something she had failed to appreciate, either.

"What if will not help us with this." Ahsoka breathed slowly, falling into a youngling exercise just to clear her mind and heart more. "Part of the problem is that even those who have heard of the Sith being behind so much of this war, they believe it's a lie made up by the Jedi to justify things. So we're still at a point of needing to capture Dooku and bring him to trial, a very publicized one, to help crack that side of it.

"But on the part of our men, and showing we mean to help… I think I need to talk to Master Ti and Senator Amidala, maybe Representative Binks."

Barriss let curiosity show on her face, even as she filed that part about Dooku in the back of her mind. It would serve two measures of good in one action, she realized, for it would expose the Sith to public scrutiny, and it would show the Jedi truly meant to hold their own accountable. A public trial against a Jedi that had Fallen and done so much harm would help the Republic's people unite more fully in spirit.

"I think, if some of the men who are retraining in new skills because they are no longer combat-ready, in the Senator's new program, were encouraged to use those skills to benefit people like we've met, maybe… maybe it would help others see them as real, good beings," Ahsoka explained.

"That just might help," Barriss agreed. "As long as they were protected from being abused by those who see them as little more than droids."

"I'm sure the Senator, or Master Ti, can come up with ideas on that." Ahsoka then yawned, before smiling sheepishly. "Are you ready to sleep?"

Barriss moved so they could both get in bed properly for answer. Ahsoka joined her, letting their hands entwine beneath the covers. It was a solid connection to ground them both, a shield against the darkness encroaching around them.


End file.
